A complicated tale of three teams and two countries, the Eric Lindros case was resolved Tuesday when arbitrator Larry Bertuzzi ruled that the Philadelphia Flyers had the rights to the 19-year-old center from Canada. At issue was whether the Flyers or the New York Rangers had secured the services of Lindros, the most promising player in hockey, from the Quebec Nordiques on June 20.

Comsat Corp. may have made its reputation in outer space, but it is placing a good part of its future on the ice. A longtime provider of global communications services via satellites, Comsat this week agreed to buy the National Hockey League's Quebec Nordiques for $75 million. If merging sports with satellites sounds odd, well, Comsat already is a hybrid of technology and entertainment holdings that is part Ted Turner and part Madison Square Garden.

French fashion took a new turn here Tuesday night. Real men, more or less adults, were wearing diapers on top of their heads. Another brave soul was sporting a diaper in the usual place with nothing else on. Unless you count his pacifier or bonnet. Eric Lindros, a 19-year-old center, has caused many people to do many strange things, long before the passionate Quebec Nordique fans decided to greet his first NHL game here by mocking him as a "Bebe," for refusing to play for their team.

Horse-drawn carriages clatter down narrow streets, passing sidewalk cafes where customers linger over creamy pastries and the delicious aroma of cafe au lait . For more than three centuries, Quebec City has preserved its French heritage and Old World charm. But the stone fortifications of North America's only walled city couldn't repel the modern economic pressures that drove away its only major league team, the NHL's Nordiques.

No charges will be filed against Buffalo Sabres players who beat up a Quebec fan in a bizarre incident during a game at the Colisee on Tuesday night, police said Thursday. However, the NHL has launched an investigation to determine whether the Sabres involved should be fined or suspended.

Owen Nolan of the Quebec Nordiques was suspended for four non-game days and fined $500 for cross-checking Richard Matvichuk of the Minnesota North Stars. Nolan will not be paid $7,968 of his $550,000 contract.

The Quebec Nordiques have no doubt concerning their first choice in today's NHL draft. The Kings, on the other hand, have no clue. With the worst record in the league, the Nordiques get the first pick overall, and barring an 11th-hour deal, that will be Eric Lindros, who is already being hailed as the next Wayne Gretzky. Without a first-round selection, the Kings' first pick will be the 42nd of the draft, leaving team officials little to go on.

As it heads toward the resolution of a stunted and confounding season, the NHL finds itself in the clutches of a dreaded neutral-zone trap. The transition from its frost-bitten Canadian past to a warm spot in the heart of corporate America has been stalled by tactics from the sport's middle ages and a xenophobia toward players once identified as enemies. The first-round series between the New York Rangers and the Quebec Nordiques has become a microcosm of the struggle for hockey's soul.

The Mighty Ducks looked to the future Wednesday, trading veteran center Anatoli Semenov to Philadelphia for a prospect, then making a second deal for a suspect--Quebec's David Karpa, whose trade to the Kings last week was voided by the NHL after he failed his physical. The Kings rejected Karpa after their doctors determined he needed wrist surgery and would be out five months. But the rival Ducks believe Karpa can play now and have the surgery later.

The Mighty Ducks looked to the future Wednesday, trading veteran center Anatoli Semenov to Philadelphia for a prospect, then making a second deal for a suspect--Quebec's David Karpa, whose trade to the Kings last week was voided by the NHL after he failed his physical. The Kings rejected Karpa after their doctors determined he needed wrist surgery and would be out five months. But the Ducks believe Karpa can play now and have the surgery later.

Toronto's Wendel Clark and Quebec's Mats Sundin were involved in a six-player blockbuster trade at the NHL draft Tuesday night. Toronto sent Clark, Sylvain Lefebvre and Landon Wilson to the Nordiques for Sundin, Garth Butcher and Todd Warriner. In addition, the Maple Leafs acquired the Nordiques' first-round draft pick--10th overall--for their first pick, the 22nd. Toronto then sent the 10th pick to the Washington Capitals for center Mike Ridley and the 16th overall pick.

Owen Nolan of the Quebec Nordiques was suspended for four non-game days and fined $500 for cross-checking Richard Matvichuk of the Minnesota North Stars. Nolan will not be paid $7,968 of his $550,000 contract.

French fashion took a new turn here Tuesday night. Real men, more or less adults, were wearing diapers on top of their heads. Another brave soul was sporting a diaper in the usual place with nothing else on. Unless you count his pacifier or bonnet. Eric Lindros, a 19-year-old center, has caused many people to do many strange things, long before the passionate Quebec Nordique fans decided to greet his first NHL game here by mocking him as a "Bebe," for refusing to play for their team.